Fire Damage, Evaluation,

NDT, and Repair of

Concrete Structures

Presented By:
Akshaykumar B. More
Nafiseh Sh. Majd
Fire Damage, Evaluation, NDT, and Repair of RC Structures

 Introduction

 Fire Damage

 Evaluation Methods

 NDT Methods

 Rehabilitation

 Design

 Conclusion
 Introduction
Windsor Tower in Madrid, a modern high-
rise building (29 floors) exposed to fire in
2005 and lasted 25 hours. The building had
a bearing structure made of:
❖ Reinforced concrete: slabs, shear wall
cores and interior columns
❖ Steel: perimeter columns

No. of Fires in 2015 vs. Location of the Fire

700000
Ref: https://daliamaelachlan.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/madrid.jpg 639500
600000

501500
No. of Fires

500000
According to NFPA report for
2015: 400000

❖ 1 “Structure” fire reported every 300000

63 seconds. 200000 174000

❖ 1 “Highway” fire reported every 100000

181 seconds. 0
Outside and 'Other' Structure Highway Vehicle
Location of Fire
 Fire Damage

❖ Concrete Damage Mechanisms:

(1) Surface Cracking / Crazing
(2) Chemical Decomposition
(3) Microcracking and Spalling

❖ Temperature Effect on:

(1) Color of Concrete
(2) Compressive Strength of Concrete (f’c)
(3) Modulus of Elasticity (E)
(4) Steel Reinforcement
 Fire Damage – Damage Mechanisms
(1) Surface Cracking / Crazing
 Crazing: network of fine surface cracks in concrete which usually occurs in
early ages of concrete due to shrinkage of the surface layer.
 Repairing of cracks is essential when the chloride ion exists in the concrete
itself or its surrounding environment.

 Crazing and surface cracks are caused by:

- low humidity
- fire
- thermal incompatibility
- hot sun
- drying out

 Size of cracks:
- Depth < 3 mm (1/8”)
- Diameter of grids of < 50mm (2”)
Ref: http://www.nrmca.org/aboutconcrete/cips/03p.pdf
 Fire Damage – Damage Mechanisms
(2) Chemical Decomposition
 The raise in temperature during fire will lead to water evaporation and
dehydration in cement paste. This will cause decomposition of calcium
hydroxide and calcium aluminates in concrete.
 Decomposition occurs after evaporation of free water and capillary water and
will be initiated by the loss of physically bound water.
 The color of concrete will turn into pink as a result of this mechanism

Ref: https://www.oksea.org/sites/osea/uploads/documents/2014_Fall_Conf/Speaker_Presentations/James_Plantes/Evaluation_of_Fire_Damaged_Structures.pdf
 Fire Damage – Damage Mechanisms
(3) Microcracking and Spalling
 Spalling: the small cracks and separation of surface layers of concrete due to
rapid change in temperature (such as fire) and leads to exposition of steel
reinforcement and its rapid deformation due to heat.
 Spalling caused by high temperature can be:
- full destruction at slow rates
- sudden exploding of smaller or larger pieces of concrete with thickness less
than few centimeters at early ages of heating.

Spalling of the concrete cover

during a moderate fire after
1906 San Francisco
earthquake

Ref: R. Jansson, “Fire Spalling of Concrete, theoretical and Experimental Studies”,

Doctoral Thesis in Concrete Structures, KTH, Stockholm, Swede, 2013
 Fire Damage – Damage Mechanisms
(3) Microcracking and Spalling
 “Water Clog” theory describes the Spalling process as below:

- Rapid evaporation of free near-surface water,

- Vaporizing and moving of the internal moisture toward the cooler concrete core,
- Condensation of water vapor as it cools,
- Resistance of the low permeability concrete layer to water transformation
towards cooler core,

- Development of water
pressure in the pores and
capillaries,
- Reaching the critical point
in which water pressure
exceeds the tensile strength
of concrete,
- Concrete spalling and
microcracking

Ref: I. Hager, “Behaviour of Cement Concrete at High Temperature”, Bulletin of the polish Academy of Sciences, Technical Sciences, Vol. 61, No. 1, 2013
Fire Damage – Damage Mechanisms: Spalling

Ref: http://www.sandberg.co.uk/investigation-inspection/inspection/fire-damaged-concrete.html

Ref:
https://www.oksea.org/sites/osea/uploads/documents/2014
_Fall_Conf/Speaker_Presentations/James_Plantes/Evaluation
_of_Fire_Damaged_Structures.pdf
 Fire Damage – Temperature Effect
(1) Color of Concrete
 Due to the chemical and physical changes and dehydration of the cement
paste, the color of the concrete will vary during a fire, depending on the fire
temperature.
 Color Change can be a used as an indicator of the exposure temperature and
thus, the corresponding fire damage of concrete can be estimated.

 According to this table, the

concrete will be considered
unaffected up to around
300⁰C (550⁰F).

Ref: N.K. Gosain, R.F. Drexler and D. Choudhuri,

“Evaluation and Repair of Fire Damaged Buildings”,
Structure Magazine, Sep. 2008
 Fire Damage – Temperature Effect
(2) Compressive Strength of Concrete
 The compressive strength of concrete will not change up to 300⁰C, however,
this is threshold temperature for speed of strength loss in mortars, which it will
become more rapid after that.
 Although the f’c will not drastically change till 300⁰C, the strength of the
concrete will significantly reduce by 30-40% due to internal cracks caused by
thermal expansion.
 the strength of concrete
will not be recovered
after cooling.

Ref 1: “Types and Causes of Concrete Deterioration”,

Concrete Information, Portland Cement Association (PCA),
2002
Ref 2: D.R. Lankard, D.L. Birkimer, F.F. Fondriest and M.J.
Snyder, “The Effects of Moisture Content on the Constitution
and Structural Properties of Portland Cement Concrete
Exposed to Temperature Up to 500⁰F”, Battelle Memorial
Institute, Columbus Laboratories, 1968
 Fire Damage – Temperature Effect
(3) Modulus of Elasticity of Concrete
 Up to 300⁰C, the loss in modulus of elasticity is in the same order of loss of
concrete strength, about 40%.
 The loss of E around 550⁰C, is about 50%.

Ref 1: “Types and Causes of Concrete

Deterioration”, Concrete Information,
Portland Cement Association (PCA),
2002
Ref 2: D.R. Lankard, D.L. Birkimer,
F.F. Fondriest and M.J. Snyder, “The
Effects of Moisture Content on the
Constitution and Structural Properties
of Portland Cement Concrete Exposed
to Temperature Up to 500⁰F”, Battelle
Memorial Institute, Columbus
Laboratories, 1968
 Fire Damage – Temperature Effect
(4) Steel Reinforcement

 The yield strength of steel reinforcement can be reduced up to 50% of

its initial value when the fire temperature rises to 600⁰C.

 The steel strength can be completely recovered when the rebar cools
down from 450⁰C - 600⁰C, depending on the steel rebar
manufacturing type.

 The modulus of elasticity of steel is also reduced with raise in

temperature, as expected.
 Evaluation Methods
❖ Verifying the Safety of the Structure

❖ Preliminary Investigation
(1) Cleaning
(2) Physical Appearance
(3) Fire Intensity
(4) Observation
(5) Field Tests

❖ Detailed Investigation:

(1) Destructive Methods

(2) Non- Destructive Tests (NDT)

❖ Load Testing
 Evaluation Methods

Is the Structure Safe to Enter? Detailed Investigation:

- Data on structure - Destructive Tests
- Data from fire department . Coring
- Informal interviews . Petrographic
- Observations and other in-site information . Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA)
. Micro Hardness
- Non-Destructive Tests (NDT)
Preliminary Investigation: . Pulse-Velocity (Soniscope)
- Cleaning the structure . Impact-Echo
- Physical appearance . Magnetic and Microwave (Radar)
- Estimation of fire intensity . Peneteration Resistance (Windsor Probe)
- Observations and other in-site information . Rebound (Scmidt) Hammer
. Melting temperature of different material
. Other material's condition
- Field Tests: Load Testing:
. Ordinary hammer - Before repair
. Chisel or screwdriver - After repair
 Evaluation Methods – Preliminary Investigation
(1) Cleaning
 Smoke deposits and soot usually hides the spalling and cracks due to fire and
cleaning of the structure will result in more clear observations and more
accurate identification of the deflected and distorted members.
 Cleaning can be done using various methods such as water blasting, dry ice
blasting, chemical washing and etc.
 These methods might cause secondary damages to the structure and the dry
ice blasting or chemical washing is the safest method The loss of E around
550⁰C, is about 50%.

(2) Inspecting Physical Appearance of Structure (Visual Inspection)

 The cracks, spalling, deformations, misalignments, distortions and exposure
of steel reinforcements is documented
 The deflection and geometry of some suspicious members are measured and
documented
 Evaluation Methods – Preliminary Investigation
(2) Inspecting Physical Appearance of Structure (Visual Inspection)

Ref: “Part I of a Three-Part Series on Repair of Fire Damage: Concrete Structures After Fire”, Concrete Construction, 1972
 Evaluation Methods – Preliminary Investigation
(2) Inspecting Physical Appearance of Structure (Visual Inspection)
 Evaluation Methods – Preliminary Investigation
(3) Fire Intensity
 Fire intensity can be estimated by observing the building contents and the
post-fire condition of the other materials.
 Knowing the melting point of some material and inspecting the building
content, one can estimate the local and maximum fire temperature.
 The debris condition in different fire temperatures is an additional source for
estimating the fire temperature.

Melting points of
some common
materials

Ref: “Fire Protection Planning Report: Assessing the Condition and Repair
Alternatives of Fire-Exposed Concrete and Masonry Members”, Building
Construction Information from the Concrete and Masonry Industries, August 1994
Ref: B. Erlin, W.G. Hime and W.H. Kuenning, “Part II of a Three-Part Series on Repair of Fire Damage: Evaluating Fire Damage to Concrete Structures”, Concrete Construction, 1972
 Evaluation Methods – Preliminary Investigation
(4) Field Tests

 When the previous phases of preliminary investigation will not reveal

enough information to evaluate the fire’s severity and to decide about
future activities and further examination, simple on-site testing methods
are used as adjunct to visual assessment of the damaged structure.

 Striking hammer to the concrete material and taking the sounding is one
of the common methods. In this method the material will be good and
hard when it tends to be solid and “ring” and the weekend concrete tends
to be “dull thud” and hollow.

 Use of chisel is another method which is used to inspect the softened

regions on the surface of the concrete
 Evaluation Methods – Detailed Investigation
(1) Destructive Test Methods
 These methods will require more time and effort rather than NDT test methods
and caution is necessary during the sampling process.
 They will provide more detailed information about the strength and mechanical
properties of the material as well as the depth of the fire and cracks location.
 Destructive test methods are generally performed either in field or lab and there
are various methods available for this purpose.

❖ Coring
 It is mainly used to determine the poison ratio, modulus of elasticity and
compressive strength of the concrete. The samples will be tested in the lab.
❖ Petrographic Test Coring
 This test is a deterministic testing method in determining the fire damage depth
in concrete and is usually performed on core samples. Petrographic test will
also offer valuable information about the location and orientation of the cracks
and microcracking, loss of rebar-cement bond and cement-aggregate bond,
dehydration, carbonation depth, water/cement ratio, etc.
 Qualification by Testing
 The most common test method for determining
fire resistance in the United States is the ASTM
Standard E 119 Test Methods for Fire Tests of
Building Construction and Materials.
REHABILITATION
 REHABILITATION
1. Introduction

2. Decision Making Process- Need of Rehabilitation

3. Selection of Repair Materials for concrete

4. Rehabilitation and Retrofitting Methods.

5. Guidelines for Terms and conditions for repairs.

6. Schedule for special Items of works.

7. Specifications for Structural Repair work

Rehabiltation- Introduction
➢ Reinforced cement concrete (RCC)

➢ Lavishly Used

➢ Hugh investment

➢ Importance of RCC

➢ Safety

https://goo.gl/images/yRH2M4
REHABILITATION- DECISION MAKING PROCESS

Governing Factors:

➢ Economical

➢ Current Code requirements

➢ Life span of proposed structure

➢ Historical importance

➢ Government building(matter of national security

Evaluation procedure for fire damaged concrete structures [30]

 REHABILITATION- DECISION MAKING PROCESS

Feasibility study
✓ Financial Aspects- Mostly the information is quite short in
the early stage but increases as the project gets closer to
reality. Thus, required more precision and accuracy.
Methods- Net present value, payback period

✓ Technical Aspects- Informs whether the structure is

feasible to repair and reestablish and can the structure
can be repaired to the point of damage. Also it dictates if
the structure can serve its intended purpose or it should
be demolished and reconstructed.
 REHABILITATION- DECISION MAKING PROCESS
Feasibility study

➢Physical Characteristic

➢If absent, it is to be expected that

concrete and masonry members can be repaired in place.

➢If present, strong concern should be agreed to the removal

and replacement of affected members of the structure.

1 Excessive deflection- Beam

2 Large extensive cracks in structurally sensitive areas- joints
3 Misalignments
4 Distorted members- columns
5 Indications of load-carrying competences may have been extremely
diminished
6 Building’s architectural features
Rehabilitation-Essential
Parameters for Repair Materials
➢ Workability
➢ Low shrinkage properties
➢ Aesthetics
➢ Requisite setting/hardening properties
➢ Good bond strength
➢ Coefficient of thermal expansion should be compatible
➢ Compatible mechanical properties and strength to that of the sub-strate
➢ No curing requirement
➢ Alkaline character
➢ Low permeability
Repair Objectives:
✓ Re-established the structural integrity of the
members by reestablishing or increasing its
strength and stiffness.
✓ Improve the aesthetics by put on coatings
✓ Improve life/durability
✓ Protection of steel bars
Rehabilitation Methods
✓ Keeping the objective in view, a rehabilitation
strategy has to be adopted. Based on the evaluation
and availability of various method of repair and the site
condition.
✓ To ensure well-being of the structure and security from
further deterioration, priority should be given to
rehabilitation of structural shortcoming.
List Of Rehabilitation Methods
➢ Surface Cleaning and smoke removal
➢ Breaking Out : replacing the damage concrete + undisturbed reinforcement
➢ Ferro cement : Using mesh + Plasticizers +polymers for sealing pores
➢ Plate Bonding : MS plates+ epoxy glue for bonding + Bolting.
➢ Shotcrete : Pneumatically applied concrete or mortar placed directly on to a
surface
➢ Epoxy bonded concrete ( fresh concrete +resin bond coat on hardened
surface ( depth 40mm or more) may be reinforcement / shear keys etc ,
➢ Silica Fume concrete: Portland cement with silica fumes in case High
strength requirement mostly used with super plasticizers.
➢ RCC jacketing :Composite action with old and new : ensure old concrete is good.
Breaking Out Technique

Hydro Blasting for concrete removal Breaking out- slab

List Of Rehabilitation Methods

Jacketing of Column
“Fire Protection Planning Report: Assessing the Condition and Repair Alternatives of Fire-Exposed Concrete and Masonry Members”, Building Construction
Information from the Concrete and Masonry Industries, August 1994.
FPR- Fibre reinforced polymer

Fibre reinforced polymer

➢ It is a synthetic material in
which polymer matrix is
reinforced with fibres.
FRP plate application beneath the beam
➢ Most commonly used fibres
are glass, carbon or aramid
➢ light in weight exhibits
➢ high strength and stiffness
➢ It is non corrosive

FRP sheets wrapped around the Column

H.U. Zaman, “Retrofitting and Rehabilitation of High Rise Fire Damaged Concrete Building”, Master Thesis, Study Course Construction and Real Estate Management ,September 2014
Guidelines Prior to design:
➢ The design should meet the demand of local building regulations
and it needs approval from the local authority.
➢ Also design of the repair sections should comply with the current
design codes. As in some cases the priory design of the structure
may have been design to the codes which are revised in the
meantime. So the code used in the past were out of date.
➢ In some cases it can be inferred from the investigation that the
structure was deficient in the original design. Original design should
be obtained as it will help to plan strategy to assess the “as built”
properties of the structure.
Typical Examples Of Column Repair By Guniting:

“Handbook On repair and Rehabilitation of RCC Buildings”, Published by Director General (Works), General Public Works Department, Government of India, 2002.
 Slab Strengthening : Concrete Overlay

“Handbook On repair and Rehabilitation of RCC Buildings”, Published by Director General (Works), General Public Works Department, Government of India, 2002.
 Beam strengthening : concrete overlay And section enlargement

“Handbook On repair and Rehabilitation of RCC Buildings”, Published by Director General (Works), General Public Works Department, Government of India, 2002.
 Conclusions
1. The decision about whether to rehabilitate and retrofit the structure or to
reconstruct after demolishing the structure is influenced by many factors like
technical, financial, safety, physical, Etc.
2. Repair strategies should be planned based on the results of evaluation
phase and also various available rehabilitation methods.
3. Current building design code specifications should be considered.
 References
1. “Handbook On repair and Rehabilitation of RCC Buildings”, Published by Director General (Works),
General Public Works Department, Government of India, 2002.
2. H.U. Zaman, “Retrofitting and Rehabilitation of High Rise Fire Damaged Concrete Building”, Master Thesis,
Study Course Construction and Real Estate Management ,September 2014